title: High rates of false-positive hepatitis C antibody tests can occur after left ventricular assist device implantation.
abstract: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening is routine before cardiac transplantation, and virus presence is an exclusion at most centers. Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) are often used as a bridge to transplantation and cause immune activation. We collected data on 32 consecutive patients undergoing LVAD placement between January 2006 and February 2008 at a single center. Of the 23 potential bridge-to-transplant patients with HCV testing before and after LVAD, seven (30%) turned positive for HCV antibody but did not have true HCV infection on confirmatory testing. Cardiac transplant care providers should be aware of possible false-positive HCV antibody tests in this setting.
authors.affiliation: From the *Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California; †Henry Ford Hospital, Heart and Vascular Institute, Detroit, Michigan; and ‡Division of Gastroenterology, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan.
authors.forename: Ajay V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.forename: Tara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hrobowski
authors.forename: Lori
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Krese
authors.forename: Mary Ann
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nemeh
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tita
authors.forename: Celeste
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brewer
authors.forename: David E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Lanfear
mesh_terms: D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices / Q000009:adverse effects*; D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D018937:Hepatitis C Antibodies